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Child custody cases post-parental separation entail inherent complexities and uncertainties for legal experts and decision-makers, and are influenced by context factors. This study sheds light on how legal actors (i.e., judges, prosecutors, lawyers, psychologists, and social workers) navigate the uncertainties that arise in such context and, therefore, make their decisions. Based on a reflexive thematic analysis involving 73 participants from Brazil and England, this study reveals cognitive strategies employed by legal actors to comprehend uncertainty and operate in the decision-making context. These strategies encompass heuristics (i.e., selection, evaluation, degrees of freedom, and outsourcing decisions/resolution) and metacognitive strategies (custodial arrangements, professional practices and 'best interests of the child' speech). These results provide a window into the decision-making processes in child custody cases; they offer a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted sensemaking strategies employed by legal professionals. The results carry substantial implications for informing and improving legal practice in handling complex child custody situations. Furthermore, this study charts new paths for future research by highlighting potential avenues for refining and advancing the strategies employed by legal experts in these cases, especially considering the child's best interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the issue of protecting and providing mental healthcare for affluent children who are in conflict with the law. It highlights two specific cases in India, the Nirbhaya case and the Pune Porsche case, which generated public outrage and raised questions about the treatment of child offenders. The article explores the complexities of balancing child rights and public safety, particularly in cases involving social class, wealth, and privilege. It emphasizes the need for mental health professionals to maintain a scientific and professional perspective in order to provide effective interventions for children and families in such situations. The article also examines the vulnerabilities and risks faced by affluent children, including neglect, substance use, and mental health issues. It calls for a re-examination of notions of vulnerability and a restorative approach to holding individuals accountable for their actions. [Extracted from the article]

This document explores the challenges faced by children aged 0-5, particularly in the context of disasters, and proposes strategies to support disadvantaged groups. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive disaster management plans that address the specific needs of these children, including those with special needs, those growing up in labor-intensive environments, and marginalized children. The document suggests implementing mentoring practices and collaborative efforts to provide timely and adequate intervention. It also highlights the importance of creating a cycle of support to prevent further issues and promote the well-being of these children and their families. [Extracted from the article]

Medical professionals usually reject critiques of deferrable treatments that alter the sex characteristics of infants and children without personal informed consent on the grounds that intersex adults' experiences reflect 'obsolete' practice. However, past practice is also protected from criticism by claiming 'good intentions', a commitment to the child's best interest and context-dictated constraints on medical practice. I first examine foundational literature of the Optimal Gender Policy to verify the presence of statements of interests or motives, I then collect affect displays to identify motives, and I observe attitudes to clitoridectomy. Affect displays point to motives that are relevant in interpretive sociology, as they allow access to cultural or institutional dispositions when justification talk has not been provided. While a statement of interest is absent from the foundational literature, I identify the following affect displays: (1) unease and disgust; (2) attachment to heteronormativity, as well as three kinds of gratification or pleasure rewards; (3) power pleasure; (4) surgical pleasure; (5) and cosmetic pleasure. As surgical action appeases some of these affects and nourish others, previous medical professionals had interests that were their own and not centred on the children. Examination of attitudes to clitoridectomy reveals that clinicians were aware of the (phallo)clitoris' importance to sexual pleasure but dismissed it, further invalidating claims that past practice was based on children's best interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ondokuz Mayis University Journal of Education is the property of Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article is devoted to the study of the principle of the right to freedom of movement, as a concept of human rights that includes the right of people to move from one place to another on the territory of a country and to leave the country, including the possibility of returning, including change of place where the individual lives. This analysis required the study of the national jurisprudence and EEC, member states of the European Union of third countries, because this fundamental principle is one of the scientific freedoms that the European institutions are investigating, considering that visa restrictions may affect these freedoms. The author identified what implies the application of this principle in all the procedures regarding minors in close connection with respecting the principle of the best interest of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the proposed bill SB 407 in California, which aims to ensure that LGBTQ foster youth are placed in affirming homes. The author argues that the bill violates the First Amendment by coercing religious families to adopt specific beliefs and pursue certain medical care. The article questions the effectiveness and constitutionality of the bill and calls for its rejection by the California Legislature. [Extracted from the article]

The Institute of Special Guardianship was introduced into Croatian juvenile legislation in 2019, by implementing the provisions of Directive 2016/800, which establishes procedural safeguards for minors who are suspects or accused in criminal proceedings. Although this institute was presented as a significant step in protecting the rights of children, four years after its implementation, challenges in its functioning have emerged that deviated from the initial expectations. The authors of this paper carefully analyse the development of the Institute of Special Guardianship, pointing out numerous existing dilemmas and shortcomings. They critically assess its implementation and highlight how it currently fails to fulfil its primary purpose. In their work, the authors propose a series of solutions de lege ferenda to improve the functioning of the Institute of Special Guardianship. Their recommendations are aimed at addressing existing problems and aligning the practice with international standards for the protection of children’s rights and minors. Their goal is to create an effective and fair system that will provide adequate protection and support for minors in criminal proceedings. Through this paper, the authors encourage further discussion and engagement to ensure that the Institute of Special Guardianship in Croatia fulfils its purpose and provides minors with appropriate protection and respect for their rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Opuntia Brava is the property of Universidad de Ciencias Pedagogicas de Las Tunas, Centro de Documentacion e Informacion Pedagogica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zbornik Radova Pravnog Fakulteta u Nisu is the property of Law Faculty in Nis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In cases brought under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Hague Convention) and its implementing statute, the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA), the foremost concern is whether a wrongfully removed child may be safely repatriated into their country of habitual residence. When courts determine there is a "grave risk of harm" facing the child upon their return, the key inquiry becomes whether courts are required to identify and analyze any potential "ameliorative measures" that could be imposed to ensure the safety of the child. The Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari in Golan v. Saada to resolve the circuit split concerning the proper consideration of ameliorative measures in these cases. The Court's 2022 opinion held state and federal courts have discretion to analyze ameliorative measures in cases where there is a "grave risk of harm" to the child. To guide future courts in exercising this discretion, the Court opined that courts ordinarily should address ameliorative measures raised by parents or as evidenced by the circumstances of the case. Specifically, courts should consider whether ameliorative measures are (1) intended to prioritize the child's physical and psychological safety, (2) without usurping the role of foreign countries in resolving the underlying custody issues, and (3) while moving as "expeditiously as possible.". In the year since the Golan opinion was released, courts are already grappling with how to interpret the Supreme Court's guidance. The Hague Convention and ICARA are notably silent on procedural matters, leaving courts with wide discretion on how to adjudicate child abduction cases. The gap in the plain language of the Hague Convention, ICARA, and existing case law is particularly amplified when analyzing cases where the taking parent is a victim of domestic violence. This Article surveys cases decided prior to and following Golan and advances a proposed two-stage judicial framework for court proceedings to promote consistent and expedient adjudication of international child abduction cases. Initially, a court should expedite the case, enter a case management order after consideration of written proofs of the parties, make a finding of whether the abducted child has been exposed to domestic violence, and appoint an attorney for the child. This Article argues that further consideration of ameliorative measures is not necessary in cases where the court initially finds that a child has been exposed to or is a victim of domestic violence. At the final trial, the court should contemporaneously determine the separate issues of (1) whether the petitioner establishes a prima facie case, (2) if so, whether the respondent can establish the child faces a "grave risk of harm" if returned, and (3) in cases without a preliminary finding of domestic violence, whether there are enforceable protective measures that can ameliorate that risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of IUSTA is the property of Universidad Santo Tomas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Derecho Privado (0123-4366) is the property of Universidad Externado de Colombia, Departmento de Derecho Civil and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This summary reports on the design and proceedings of a collaborative case-based workshop and panel on how we ‘ought’ to consider the best interests of children in medical decisionmaking, presented virtually at the Canadian Bioethics Society - Société Canadienne de Bioéthique Workshop and Community Forum in May of 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the National Engagement in Canadian Bioethics workshop and community forum organized by the Canadian Bioethics Society in 2023. The forum aimed to share knowledge and reflections on various topics in bioethics and provide opportunities for ongoing discussion and community-building. The workshops covered areas such as standardization in the field, embedding ethics into policy and decision-making, and addressing the moral impact of working in health systems. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of ongoing discussion and collaboration in Canadian bioethics. [Extracted from the article]

The mobility in Mexican territory of children and adolescents unaccompanied by parents or guardians is a delicate and complex problem that has been in force for at least 25 years. Based on a documentary analysis, the objective of this article is to discuss the Mexican legislation related to this population group, from its foundations in human rights and the best interests of the child, to the care models or programs that have sought to make those guarantees effective. In 2021, it was recorded a historic maximum of 112,192 unaccompanied children apprehended on the Mexico-United States border (Kandel, 2021), urging the strengthening of these efforts. However, the analysis suggests that there has been a disjointed development and a fragmented approach, with difficulties in moving from legislative abstraction trough enforcing via inter-institutional coordination and budget allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents homeschool or homeschooling as an alternative education, in times of pandemic and in other circumstances, in which situations of vulnerability of students, especially children and adolescents, seem to be at stake. For this, it was necessary to make an approach to this type of school, in other cultures, especially the Anglo-Saxon, where this atypical pedagogy has its genesis; and towards the perception of Latina mothers who have been an active part of homeschool in the last two decades. On this basis, an attempt is being made to consolidate, on the basis of a conceptual and theoretical basis, learning at home, where the best interests of the child prevail, on an improved proposal that is increasingly based on the rights of the child, as well as on an active pedagogy, created in a specific way, for this sui generis and alternative form of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista CIENCIA UNEMI is the property of Universidad Estatal de Milagro (UNEMI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although there have been attempts to understand and curtail coercive control and to understand parental alienation, many parents are still being gaslit by a system designed to protect them. There have been considerable changes in Canada to the federal Divorce Act and the definition of family violence, but the "friendly parent" and "maximum contact" principles remain, despite lip service given towards the best interests of the child. This paper attempts to examine if enough is being done to understand the intersection of coercive control and parental alienation, and the "feminized irrationality" which deems protective mothers hysterical and not worthy of credibility. The intersection of coercive control and parental alienation has had such divergent research because of an antiquated conclusion that women use false allegations of abuse to secure custody of their children. Even though this has been roundly dismissed, many courts still grapple with whether there is deceit amidst domestic violence accusations. Mental health support systems, children's aid associations, and the police are being used as weapons of oppression for many women. The result is that courts dealing with the custody of children have great difficulty awarding decision-making authority to someone who is unregulated and deemed pathologically (and somehow inappropriately) concerned for her children. These organizations may be, perhaps unwittingly, using their power to debilitate further women who are simply trying to protect their children. The case study of IS v. TC is informative about how these principles were weaponized against an Indigenous mother who was characterized, without evidence, as lacking credibility and suffering from various mental disorders. Ultimately, the court ordered reunification with the father, who had alleged parental alienation, and the child was prevented from contacting his mother for a significant period. The paper finishes with an exploration of what might be done to help this problem, emphasizing the mediation model and further screening for domestic violence. Perhaps if all lawyers are screening for the signs of intimate partner violence, they can be part of the solution rather than perpetuating harmful stereotypes of mothers which abound in the family law system in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ius et Praxis (07172877) is the property of Universidad de Talca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article proposes improvement of mental health care for detained unaccompanied minors through a best interests of the child standard that promotes healing and avoidance of retraumatization. Topics discussed include deliberate indifference standard in the cases A.M. v. Luzerne County Juvenile Detention Center and Doe 4 v. Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center Commission, impact of detention or incarceration on juvenile mental health, and substantial departure from professional judgment standard.

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The criminal treatment of minors who transgress the criminal law is a recurring concern, given the increase in criminality. Justice is demanded regardless of whether the fundamental rights of minors are violated. This article studies the Adolescent Criminal Responsibility System in Colombia, the sanctions it contemplates, its restorative justice approach, although framed within criminal law. This system considers the deprivation of liberty sanction as a last resort for exceptional use, but this principle is not fully applied. At the same time, there is pressure to increase sentences, which may violate the best interests of the child. It is concluded that it is essential to reinforce the application of restorative justice in order to comply with the purposes of prevention, reparation, and social reintegration of minors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Enfances, Familles, Generations is the property of Enfances, Familles, Generations and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Derecho Politico is the property of Editorial UNED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses role of deportation practices in Canada to understand interest of the child principle, and mentions United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child signed by Government of Canada on December 12, 1991. Topics discussed include Canada agreed to be treaty bound to separate children from parents, clause added to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), and requirement under the Convention to make best interest of the child (BIOC).

The purpose of this paper is to present a critical diagnosis of YouTube's performance in the current scenario of children's entertainment consumption, contextualizing the process of screen expansion and analyzing the role of the platform in the production and selection of the videos it offers to children. The method is based on bibliographic research and investigation of official documents from the YouTube and YouTube Kids platforms. The research results indicate that the ways of capturing attention and managing childhood time are linked to an economic model of exploration of their subjectivities, which does not aim at the best interest of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to study the limitation that is observed in Chile concerning the possibility of custodial mothers to emigrate. The above, in the cases referring to requests for judicial authorizations about emigration abroad of the referred mothers, which are planned to be carried out in the company of their children and/or daughters. It is stated that such emigratory movements may be the source of a series of benefits from the point of view of the principle of the best interest of the child or adolescent. In addition, it is also stated that the restriction of the aforementioned emigration may cause a violation of the principle of the free development of personality of the custodial mothers. Finally, the possibility of establishing a communication regime with the non-custodial parent which contemplates the use of modern forms of communication is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the children’s and adolescents’ right to play. For this purpose, an analytical and dogmatic approach is applied, which implies, first of all, studying the importance of this right for the purposes of the requirements arising from the principle of the best interest of the child. In addition, the discipline of the right to play in the main instruments of International Law is analyzed, synthesized and compared, to later focus on the existing situation in Latin America. Finally, the incidence of the principle of progressive autonomy is discussed, including the character of children and adolescents as subjects of rights and the role of parents and guardians in the autonomous exercise of the right to play. It is concluded that an adequate exercise of the right to play is fundamental for the achievement of the best interest of children and adolescents, corresponding to the States the duty to recognize, promote and ensure it in accordance with the principle of progressive autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main objective of this article is to analyze the viability of homoparental adoption as a means to guarantee the material and formal equality of individuals and the protection of the fundamental right of children to have a family. For the development of this study, a methodology focused on a bibliographic, inductive-deductive, analytical and critical study was used, through the exegetical method. The results obtained allowed us to glimpse, based on the principles of equality, freedom, best interests of the child and progressiveness, that homoparental adoption constitutes a theoretically viable proposal, given the identification of the advantages that it supposes in Ecuador for same-sex couples and children who do not have a decent home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ius et Praxis (07172877) is the property of Universidad de Talca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Doxa Comunicación is the property of Fundacion Universitaria San Pablo - CEU and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The filiation of children born abroad through surrogacy has undergone an interesting evolution. After the initial refusal of the French and Spanish high courts to recognize such filiation, the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights related to the right to private and family life has led them to reconsider their initial positions. This is especially visible in the jurisprudential evolution of the French Court of Cassation, which today is more advanced in the matter than that of the Strasbourg Court itself. Other European national authorities have refused to transcribe the filiation of children of same-sex couples, in defense of traditional marriage. And this time it has been the Court of Justice of the European Union who, under the protection of the free movement of citizens of the Union and their families, has imposed the duty for such parentage to be recognized by the Member States. What is being imposed in one way or another is the best interest of the minor, which obliges national authorities to go so far as to inapply state precepts with the force of law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paternity is the natural and legal bond established between the child and the father; through paternity legal recognition of the existing blood union between both of them is achieved. However, the natural and legal union between child and father are not always associated, because there may be a biological relationship but not a legal liaison or, on the contrary, there may be a legal affiliation without a biological connection. Consequently, nowadays, some sons and daughters who are born out of wedlock in Mexico maintain a biological connection with their parent, without a legal relation, due to the lack of voluntary recognition of paternity or the absence of a request for an investigation of paternity by the person who exercise the parental authority of the child, which, in fact, generates the existence of minors lacking parentage and, consequently, the violation of the principle of the best interests of the child and the right to identity, recognized in the Mexican Constitution and in some international human rights treaties ratified by Mexico. The ineffectiveness of the legal mechanisms to avoid this problem forces to generate alternatives to solve it, one of them is: the regulation of the ex-officio paternity investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over time, the institution of the family has evolved, contemplating new conformation models, among which the single-parent family can be seen, made up of a father or a mother and their child(ren). This article makes a comparative analysis between the legal systems that regulate adoption in Mexico and Colombia. The rules on adoption are reviewed to establish whether they are inclusive of single-parent families, in relation to the prevalence of the best interest of the child and the fundamental rights that assist them. Taking into account that the various legal systems should promote the search for equality, the recognition of the minimum guarantees of children and the inclusion of new family models, internationally recognized. This article, the product of a legal investigation and evaluative level, with a deductive method, supports the existence of a primacy of the best interests of the minor, the fundamental rights and the protection of the family as the fundamental foundation of any society, in relation to the regulatory assumptions applicable to adoption in Colombia and Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attachment theory and research are drawn upon in many applied settings, including family courts, but misunderstandings are widespread and sometimes result in misapplications. The aim of this consensus statement is, therefore, to enhance understanding, counter misinformation, and steer family-court utilisation of attachment theory in a supportive, evidence-based direction, especially with regard to child protection and child custody decision-making. This article is divided into two parts. In the first part, we address problems related to the use of attachment theory and research in family courts, and discuss reasons for these problems. To this end, we examine family court applications of attachment theory in the current context of the best-interest-of-the-child standard, discuss misunderstandings regarding attachment theory, and identify factors that have hindered accurate implementation. In the second part, we provide recommendations for the application of attachment theory and research. To this end, we set out three attachment principles: the child's need for familiar, non-abusive caregivers; the value of continuity of good-enough care; and the benefits of networks of attachment relationships. We also discuss the suitability of assessments of attachment quality and caregiving behaviour to inform family court decision-making. We conclude that assessments of caregiver behaviour should take center stage. Although there is dissensus among us regarding the use of assessments of attachment quality to inform child custody and child-protection decisions, such assessments are currently most suitable for targeting and directing supportive interventions. Finally, we provide directions to guide future interdisciplinary research collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article address the lack of consistency surrounding the best interests of the child (BIOTC) standard as it has been used in child legal custody adversarial proceedings. It mentions lack of consistency surrounding the BIOTC standard as it has been used in child legal custody adversarial proceedings. It also mentions need to incorporate child welfare data from across the U.S., legal scholarship, and case law to determine which state factors or tests.

The article focuses on the ongoing advocacy concerning the "Best Interests of the Child" principle, highlighting the lack of transparency in Canada's decision-making process regarding deportation and family separation. It discusses efforts made, including correspondence with government officials and the need for a more comprehensive understanding of how the best interests of children are assessed and protected in deportation cases.

This article has been written with the purpose of exploring how voice is represented in the application of the 'best interests' principle within child protection in Australia. It seeks to identify the connection between anti-oppressive theory and the lack of representation of voice from the families and children who are involuntarily involved with child protection agencies. In this article, I begin with a brief look at the historical use and origins of the best interests' standard in a child protection context. It identifies the current Australian legal frameworks that utilises the best interests' standard, the core foundations for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the historical and current implications for practice. In this article, I consider the link between the use of the best interests' standard in describing what risk in child protection is, and subsequently how voice is then represented in practice and legal frameworks. I explore the barriers which adversely affect the ability of practitioners to invite, hear and understand the voice of those they work with. In this article, I conclude that the standard has been a consistently tokenistic, misrepresenting and, at times, self-serving mechanism. In Australia, the best interests' standard has not represented the voices of the people who are involuntarily involved with the system and privileges the voices of those with decision-making power. I seek to highlight that the issue is not about recreating the systems within child protection, rather meaningfully engaging the voices of the families and children who are involved with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]